Photographer's Note

Back to architecture today. Here we look at the celing of the baptistry in Parma, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. This baptistry is not so often visited by tourists compared with the ones in Florence or Pisa, while it is considered one of the most homogenous medieval monuments in northern Italy. It is a transition work between the Romanesque and Gothic styles and is the vision of one man, Benedetto Antelami. It was built between 1196 and 1270 on an octagonal plan and constructed of pink Verona marble. The baptistry contains an impressive selection of 13th and 14th century frescoes and paintings. The inside is divided into 16 sides rising into 16 niches, with each fresco portraying a biblical scene and surrounded by sculptures representing the months, the seasons and the signs of the zodiac.

In the workshop you can see the inside and the outside views of the baptistry.

Hi Alexander,
Interesting effect from the perfect centring!
It is almost like I experience som perceptual disturbance from looking intensly at this for a while..!
Well done, and you capture the deatils and colours with good clarity...
Greetings,
Pablo -

Hello Alexander.
Lovely ceiling is this. Your note is very informative. About your picture: I don't know if placing the heart of the ceiling right in the middle of the picture is the best composition. Another way of capturing can avoid the window right under. I try a workshop. Hope you like it.
Greetings,
Huub de K.

privjet alek,
good one, i appreciate your creative way of presenting this wonderful ceiling;
it is not an easy image to compose (it requires a perfetc precission for the symetry) and you did really well;
best wishes, j.

Love the central positioning here, Alexander, and the obvious beauty of the baptistry ceiling. Superb work of art beautifully captured, with an informative note.
sasa
PS Sorry out of green but will come back with it

Hi Alexander, this is an interesting ceiling and you have capture it well. I have to agree with king, though, that keeping it a bit off-center creates more tension and adds a bit of interest. Both the centered and the off-centered versions have their advantages, I think.